Jersey Birds
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24.06.2024 Swifts were over the Island in good numbers today in the warm anti-cyclonic conditions. This bird was photographed over Plemont MD
An overcast start to a mainly fine day, warm at 23c in a light Easterly wind
As mentioned above, Swifts were seen around the Island today with counts including 42 at Corbiere, 20 over Mont Cochon, 28 in St Clement and 4 over St Helier.
5 Canada Geese were near La Cotte in St Brelade's Bay this afternoon.
Offshore, it was a quiet day as most birds floated rather than flew. Seen off Corbiere were 7 Manx Shearwaters, 3 Balearic Shearwaters, 6 Guillemots, 50 Gannets, 3 Fulmars and 2 Sandwich Terns, with 5 Ravens and 2 Peregrines also seen, while in Petit Port Bay were 22 Curlews, a male Shelduck and 65 Oystercatchers. At La Pulente were the pair of Shelduck with 4 young, 2 Grey Herons, 3 Little Egrets, a Kestrel, 2 Stonechats and a Garden Warbler. On St Ouen's Pond Scrape were 2 Oystercatchers, 3 Reed Warblers and a Marsh Harrier.
At Plemont were 2 Puffins, 10 Razorbills and a Dartford Warbler. while seen from a boat crossing between Jersey and Guernsey were 4 Guillemots, 2 Razorbills, a single shearwater sp and a Swallow.
Thanks go to John Ovenden for this short video of Manx and Balearic Shearwaters rafting off Jersey's west coast
01.07.2024 Fledged juvenile Peregrines on the North coast today MD A cloudy day in a moderate northwest wind Seen from Grosnez this morning were a single Balearic Shearwater , 10 Fulmars , 24 Gannets , 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 5 Ravens , 2 Choughs, 2 Kestrels and 18 Swifts , while at Plemont were a pair of Dartford Warblers , 12 Swifts and a female Marsh Harrier . On St Ouen's Pond Scrape were the family of 4 Shelduck , 2 Oystercatchers , a Lapwing and overhead, 20+ Swifts while 20+ House Martins were seen over St Ouen's Pond. At La Pulente were 2 Shelduck with 3 young, 26 Black-headed Gulls and 6 Little Egrets. At Petit Port were 22 Curlews and 2 single Shelduck . Yesterday , on Les Ecrehous, were 20+ Sandwich Terns , at least 12 Common Terns and one Roseate Tern , heard in flight. Oystercatchers have 2 chicks there too. Below: juvenile Peregrine in flight
30.06.2024 Good news for a change, with Reed Buntings having bred in St Ouen's bay for the first time in nearly thirty years! Young are currently being fed in the nest at an undisclosed site, image courtesy of John Ovenden A dry day with variable cloud amounts in a northwest wind. The slow times continue with counts from Corbiere including a single Manx Shearwater , a Balearic Shearwater, 4 Fulmars , 33 Gannets , 4 Cormorants , a Kittiwake , 8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 4 Swifts , 6 Swallows , a Curlew , 3 Peregrines and 2 Ravens . On St Ouen's Pond Scrape were the Shelduck family and a Black-tailed Godwit . At the Albert Pier in St Helier were 20 Swifts and 3 Oystercatchers and at Beaumont Marsh was a Firecrest . Yesterday 3 fledged Kestrel young were at Plemont.
29.06.2024 Thanks to John Ovenden for this image of a Puffin , seen rafting three miles West of Grosnez JO A mainly clear day in a moderate northwest wind The quiet times continue, with only odds and ends again off of Corbiere this morning. Counts included a Common Scoter , 4 Guillemots , a Razorbill , 4 Fulmars , 46 Gannets , 4 Cormorants , 2 Kittiwakes , 2 Mediterranean Gulls , 6 Black-headed Gulls , 3 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 23 Great Black-backed Gulls and 4 Bottle-nosed Dolphins riding the bow wave of the Commodore Clipper. Over Corbiere headland were 36 Swifts , a Marsh Harrier , a Peregrine , 5 Ravens , 2 Choughs and 11 Linnets . At Petit Port were 26 Curlews and at St Aubin were 2 Redshanks and 13 Swifts .
28.06.2024 4 Guillemots , including one bridled Guillemot , sitting below Grosnez this morning MD A fair to cloudy morning in a fresh west-northwest wind, becoming fine this afternoon. Odds and ends were passing Grosnez this morning, mainly heading West with counts there including 9 Manx Shearwaters , 3 Balearic Shearwaters , 6 Guillemots , a Razorbill , 25 Gannets , 24 Fulmars , 31 Shags , 7 Cormorants , 19 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 28 Great Black-backed Gulls , 3 Mediterranean Gulls , a Black-headed Gull , 4 Kittiwakes and 4 Bottle-nosed Dolphins, with a Peregrine , a Sparrowhawk , 2 Kestrels , a Marsh Harrier , 8 Choughs and 5 Ravens also seen. At Le Pulec were 11 Little Egrets , at La Pulente were 5 Little Egrets and the family of 5 Shelduck and at Petit Port were 26 Curlews and another Little Egret . The 2 juvenile Shelduck were on the Scrape still, until yesterday at least. At St Aubin, the first 3 Redshanks were back at the roost today with 81 Black-headed Gulls and a Mediterranean Gull roosting on the beach there too. In St Helier, Kestrels were feeding one juvenile at a site near Pier Road. Below : Another view of the bridled Guillemot MD
27.06.2024 Shelduck surfing at La Pulente today MD A cloudy and cooler day than yesterday with the wind back in the West and moderate. The shift in wind direction had little effect, and it was another quiet day all round. Among the few birds passing Corbiere were 7 Manx Shearwaters , 6 Guillemots , 2 Grey Herons , 72 Gannets , a Fulmar , 4 Common Terns , a Kittiwake , 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 6 Swifts and a Swallow . 5 Ravens were present on the hillside. In Petit Port Bay over the high tide were 25 Curlews , 60 Oystercatchers and 3 Little Egrets . At La Pulente were the family of 5 Shelduck plus another single male Shelduck , also 8 Little Egrets including a juvenile bird. At the other end of St Ouen's Bay were 9 Little Egrets and a Cormorant at Le Pulec, while at Kempt Tower pools were 3 adult Little Egrets and Tufted Duck with 3 young. On a house near Hautes Croix in St John were 2 active House Martins nests, with a third under construction. An adult Sparrowhawk, found drowning in a swimming pool at Mont a L'Abbe was rescued and is now with the JSPCA. In the Sandpits at lunchtime were a juvenile Marsh Harrier , a Sparrowhawk , 72 Coot , a Grey Heron , a Stonechat , 3 Black-headed Gulls and 50 Sand Martins . At St Aubin were 18 Black-headed Gulls as their return to the Island continues ........More images of the Shelduck at La Pulente MD
26.06.2024 A beautiful male Dartford Warbler collecting food recently at Les Landes, image with thanks to Andrew Hall A sunny and very warm day (27c) in light winds. New on the scene today were 2 Cattle Egrets in stunning breeding plumage, with cows at Mont a L'Abbe. Birds are starting to move now, despite June not yet being out and at Corbiere this morning 130 Swifts flew over in two hours, also a White Wagtail. Offshore it was quiet again with 7 Manx Shearwaters , 2 Balearic Shearwaters, 5 Guillemots , 4 Fulmars , 34 Gannets , an early Common Gull , a Kittiwake , 7 Black-headed Gulls , two of them juveniles, 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , a Sandwich Tern and a Curlew seen. 4 Ravens and 2 Peregrines were also seen. At Petit Port this morning, roosting Curlew numbers had risen to 29, while at La Pulente the Shelduck family was still present but only 3 young were in evidence ( 4 still there yesterday) & Little Egrets were also there. Odds and ends around the St Ouen's Pond area included a Grey Heron , 2 Barnacle Geese , 2 Oystercatchers , 15 Swifts and a Little Egret , while on the Kempt Tower pools were 2 Little Grebes with 2 young, Tufted Ducks with 4 young and Coots with 2 young. In the Sandpits were 2 Grey Herons , 2 Black-headed Gulls, 2 Little Grebes , a male Pochard , 28 Tufted Duck , 74 Coot , 9 Oystercatchers including 2 juveniles, 3 Little Egrets and 2 Cormorants . At St John's Manor were Tufted Duck with 4 large young and in St Brelade's Bay, 300 Herring Gulls were feeding on dead Sand Eels ( reason unknown).
25.06.2024 Oystercatcher in flight at Corbiere MD A fair to fine and warm day in a light northeasterly wind. A different mix of species seen from Corbiere this morning included just a single Balearic Shearwater, a male Shelduck , 2 Guillemots , 2 Fulmars , 25 Gannets , 2 Mediterranean Gulls , 3 Black-headed Gulls , 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 5 Curlews , 56 Swifts , 2 Sand Martins , 46 Starlings in two flocks heading south, a Peregrine and 4 Ravens . 23 Curlews were roosting in Petit Port Bay. Seen from Plemont were a Puffin , 13 Razorbills , 11 Swifts , a pair of Kestrel with one juvenile, a family of Ravens and a pair of Choughs . In the backfields behind St Ouen's Pond were a Grey Heron , Reed Warblers feeding young, 15 Meadow Pipits , 2 Lapwings and a family of Stonechats . Elsewhere, 12 Swifts were at St Aubin, 11 Swifts were at Gorey Harbour and Song Thrushes were in song at Pont Marquet, in St Lawrence and at Sandybrook. At least 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were on rooftops in Gloucester Street in St Helier. Back to yesterday where a visit to Les Minquiers found 150 Turnstones , 60 Common Terns , 50 Sandwich Terns , 6 Oystercatchers , 2 pairs of Cormorants , Great Black-backed Gulls with young, a Rock Pipit and 6 Oystercatchers . 20+ Swifts were over Elizabeth Castle where Rock Pipits were breeding.
23.06.2024 An adult Gannet passing Corbiere MD An overcast start to a fine day with light winds and 22c Fine weather and light winds equalled few birds on the move at sea this morning with counts from Corbiere of 27 Manx Shearwaters , a Balearic Shearwater , 2 Fulmars , 43 Gannets , 2 Sandwich Terns , 5 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , 9 Black-headed Gulls , 2 Swifts and 22 Curlews heading into Petit Port Bay on the falling tide. Off the North coast, between Grosnez and Sark were 5 Manx Shearwaters , 3 Puffins , 2 Guillemots and several rafts of Shearwaters and Guillemots further offshore towards Sark Island. At La Pulente was a pair of Shelduck still with 4 young in tow, 3 Black-headed Gulls and 4 Little Egrets , while on the Scrape were 2 Shelduck with 2 juveniles, 4 Reed Warblers , a Cetti's Warbler and a Little Egret . while at Kempt Tower were Tufted Ducks with 4 young, Shovelers with 3 young, a Little Grebe with a juvenile and another Little Grebe with a young chick, also 3 Blackcaps in song. 40 Black-headed Gulls were in St Aubin's Bay and yesterday evening, 4 pairs of Swifts were visiting holes in St Aubin's Harbour walls. Elsewhere, 6 Buzzards were soaring over Tabor Park in St Brelade and a pair of Oystercatcher were near Archirondel Tower with 2 chicks. Below : Thanks to Jo Bramley for this video of the Tufted Ducks at Kempt Tower today.
22.06.2024 A juvenile Linnet at Corbiere this morning MD A dry day with varying amounts of cloud in a fresh Westerly wind. More by way of wind today than yesterday resulted in more active movement of seabirds past Corbiere and through to mid-morning, birds seen included 51 Manx Shearwaters, 20 Balearic Shearwaters , 21 Guillemots , a Razorbill , unusually, a male Tufted Duck offshore, 6 Fulmars , 61 Gannets , a Kittiwake , 11 Lesser Black-backed Gulls , also 2 Swifts , 9 Linnets and a Peregrine . In Petit Port Bay were 20 Curlews again, 80 Oystercatchers and a Lesser Black-backed Gull , while at La Pulente were 2 Shelduck with 4 young still, a Mediterranean Gull , 4 Black-headed Gulls and 6 Little Egrets with a Peregrine seen at Les Landes. At Plemont were 4 Razorbills and 3 Ravens , with a Guillemot , 4 Ravens and a 3 Peregrine seen further along the North coast and a Dartford Warbler at Sorel A fledged Reed Warbler, 3 singing Cetti's Warblers and a Marsh Harrier were seen at Rue des Pres and 14 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were at Grands Vaux. Yesterday evening, 2 Puffins were seen carrying food near Plemont.
21.06.2024 A Raven in flight at Corbiere today MD A clear morning, clouding up this afternoon ahead of forecast rain. Winds were light for the West At St Catherine's were 12 Swifts and in Grouville Bay were 34 Black-headed Gulls as their return to the Island picks up pace. A Cirl Bunting was singing on Grouville Common. Passing orbiere this morning were a Shelduck , a Balearic Shearwater , 4 Guillemots , 4 Fulmars , 24 Gannets , a Kittiwake , 14 Common Terns , a Black - headed Gull , a Curlew and 3 Bottle-nosed Dolphins and flying overhead were 12 Swifts and a family of 7 Ravens . In Petit Port Bay was an arrival of Curlews with 20 present, including a returning yellow-flagged bird from Poland. Also there, were a Common Sandpiper , a pair of Shelduck , and 3 Little Egrets , while at La Pulente was another pair of Shelduck , but only 3 young were seen with them, from an original 12 chicks, also 2 Black-headed Gulls. A further 2 Shelduck were on the Scrape along with a pair of Oystercatchers and a Lapwing and another Black-headed Gull was in the Sandpits. At Plemont later morning were 2 Razorbills , a Peregrine , 13 Swifts , a singing Dartford Warbler and 5 Buzzards which included a pale-phase bird. Along the North coast at Belle Hougue were a Garden Warbler , a Blackcap , a Chiffchaff and several Linnets . At the Winston Churchill Park in St Brelade's Bay were a singing Firecrest , a Chiffchaff , a Great Spotted Woodpecker and overhead, 7 Swifts. 3 Bottle - nosed Dolphins were in the Bay, perhaps those seen passing Corbiere earlier.
Mick Dryden
Romano da Costa
Tony Paintin
